Monday, December 28, 2015

Surrender to Yin Yoga Poses

This is a perfect series of poses to help offset an overly active lifestyle. Allow yourself to melt into each pose by moving into it with an attitude of grace and the stillness of a meditative mind.

1. Butterfly Pose

Sit on a blanket or cushion. With your weight on the front edge of your sitting bones, bend your knees, press the soles of your feet together, and let your legs drop out like butterfly wings. Take your heels at least a foot away from your hips. With your hands on your ankles, bend forward from the hips to your appropriate edge, then relax your upper spine and let it round. Rest your head in the arches of the feet, on top of the stacked fists, or cupped in the hands while the elbows rest on the feet. If you can, stay for 3 to 5 minutes in all of the poses in this sequence. Inhale as you come up, then stretch your legs forward and lean back on your hands. Pause for a few moments in a neutral position after each pose.

2. Saddle Pose

Sit on your shins and lean back on your hands. (If this is already too much for your knees, skip this pose.) Lower yourself slowly onto your back, keeping your lower back in an exaggerated arch. If your quadriceps feel strained, rest your shoulders and head on top of a bolster or a folded blanket. Otherwise, come down onto your elbows or upper back, allowing your knees to spread apart if you need to. If there is too much pressure on your ankles, place a folded towel or blanket underneath them. To come up, place your hands where your elbows were. Engage your abdominal muscles and inhale as you lift yourself up.

3. Sphinx Pose

Lie on your belly with your legs outstretched. Place your elbows on the floor shoulder distance apart and about an inch or so ahead of the shoulder line. Place your hands straight forward or hold on to your elbows. Rest here without slumping into your shoulders or lifting them up. Let your belly and organs drape toward the floor as you relax your buttocks and legs. If your back feels sensitive, engage your outer buttocks and inner legs all or part of the time to lessen the strong sensations.

4. Seal Pose

This pose is similar to Sphinx but creates more of an arch in the lower back. Begin on your belly, propped up on your hands with your arms straight. Place your hands about 4 inches in front of the shoulders. Turn the hands out slightly, like seal flippers. Distribute your weight evenly across your hands to avoid stressing your wrists. If it’s tolerable, relax the muscles in the buttocks and legs. If not, contract them from time to time to relieve the intense sensations. Your ability to remain muscularly soft may take a few months of practice. Be patient, but do not endure sharp or electrical sensations. Stay for 3 to 5 minutes. On an exhalation, lower yourself down slowly. Remain still and breathe into the whole spine as you rest.

5. Child’s Pose

When it feels appropriate to move again, place your hands under your chest, and on an inhalation, lift your upper body away from the floor. As you exhale, bend your knees and draw your hips back toward your feet in Child’s Pose.

6. Half Dragonfly Pose

Sit on a blanket or cushion with your right leg outstretched and the sole of your left foot pressing into your inner right thigh. Move your left knee back a few inches. If the knee does not rest on the floor, place a cushion under it. As you exhale, bend your spine over your right leg, placing your hands on either side of it. Do both sides before moving on.

7. Dragonfly Pose

Bring your legs into a straddle, exhale, and bend forward from the hips. Place your hands on the floor in front of you, or rest on your elbows or on a support like a bolster or folded blanket. If it feels natural, come all the way down onto your belly. If your knees are unstable, back off the pose and engage the quadriceps from time to time. Attempt to hold this pose for 5 minutes or more.

8. Full Forward Bend

Gently bring your legs back together. Bend forward at the hips, curving your spine into a forward bend. If you have sciatica or if your hips tilt backward, eliminate this pose and lie on the floor with your legs up the wall.

9. Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Come into Corpse Pose with your palms facing up orwith your hands resting on your abdomen. Place the legs wider than the hips and relax your buttocks, legs, and feet. Invite ease in your mind and body, making this the most nourishing posture of all.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Slow Down for the Holidays

The holidays are here and for certain you are running around without a moment to spare. Here are a few things to counteract the rushing:

1. Slow down.

“For fast-acting relief, try
slowing down.”Lily Tomlin

First, slow down. So that means SLOW DOWN with everything you do. Yes, that includes texting, talking, walking and anything else you engage in. The easiest way to do that is to slow down the breath. Focus on breathing through the belly. That's right, let the belly initiate the breath. Ever see a child sleeping? They know how to breath correctly so take a lesson from them.When you slow things down you are able to hone in on the present moment and do just one thing at a time. This allows your mind and body to relax. The ah moment!

2. Appreciate the little things instead of
focusing on perfection.

“Nobody can be uncheered with a
balloon.”Winnie the Pooh

Daily happiness is to
a large part about appreciating the small things. If you just allowyourself
to be happy when accomplishing a big goal or when everything lines up
justperfectly then you are making life harder than it needs to
be.

Instead, focus on appreciating things that you may take for
granted. Think about the roof over your head, food in your pantry, and clothes on your back. Take a moment to really absorb how lucky you are to have these things as most do not have even the basics in life.

3. Give
a bit of joy to someone else.

“Since you get more joy out of
giving joy to others, you should put a good deal ofthought into the
happiness that you are able to give.”Eleanor
Roosevelt

This may sound like an empty cliché but it sure works.
One of the best ways tobecome happier is simply to make others
happier.

When you make someone else happy you can sense, see, feel and
hear it. And thathappy feeling flows back to you.

And since the Law
of Reciprocity is strong there is another upside. People will feellike
giving back to you. Or like paying it forward to someone else.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Taking Care of YOU in the Flurry of the Holiday Season

In the flurry of the
holiday season, waves of emotions may arise. Remember to breathe, let go and to
meet all that arises with loving awareness. Easier said than done perhaps but
here is a powerful concept to consider; Take One Minute for
Yourself!

It is the self that
we need to take care of because when we take good care of our "selves," we are
healthier and happier and are more able to help other
people.

How do you take care
of you in one minute? Make a point several times a day to STOP and ask yourself
this question: "Is there a way, right now, for me to take better care of myself?
You have the answer within exactly how to nurture yourself but here are a few
ideas to consider: